1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Iraq Update 10-06 Page 2

The temperature has finally begun to cool and the days are moving by faster than ever here in Western Baghdad.
I would like to sincerely thank you for your continued support to the Soldiers of A Company.
Our company continues to dominate the battlefield and disrupt insurgent operations daily in our area.
Over the last month, our Soldiers have been responsible for detaining a 4^th Infantry Division High Value Individual (HVI),
two Brigade HVIs, 23 battalion targets, and have destroyed 15 enemy weapons caches.

Second Platoon captured the brigade’s #3 HVI in addition to finding three large caches totaling over 400 RPG rounds and 130 mortar rounds. Three days later, Third Platoon captured the brigade’s new #3 High Value Target. This was also our company’s most wanted insurgent – he was responsible for two recent sniper attacks that wounded one of our Soldiers from the scout platoon earlier in the month. They additionally found a significant cache of 130 RPG rounds and 25 mortar rounds.

The Scout Platoon spent most of the month in observation posts conducting reconnaissance
and sniper operations deep in the in the northwest portion of our area. They were able to confirm enemy traffic patterns
and the locations for enemy planning cells, further setting the conditions for future offensive operations
in the toughest portion of our area. They almost immediately transitioned from the two week covert mission
to a direct action mission and captured a Division High Value Individual.
This is a testament to the versatility and abilities of the platoon.

The tank platoon continues to prove an invaluable asset as well. They took the lead in executing operations
in the southern portion of our area – an area approximately ten square kilometers –
which we received from D Company last month. They found three caches consisting of artillery and mortar rounds,
RPGs, and IED making materials, hindering enemy IED emplacement in that area.
Their hard work in developing this new portion of our area
has helped set the conditions for offensive operations in the near future.

We recently had a change of leadership in Second Platoon.
First Lieutenant Chris Thelen handed over his platoon to Second Lieutenant Stuart Keogh on October 4^th, 2006.
First Lieutenant Thelen will be missed in the company. His positive, out front leadership
will continue to have a lasting impression on the company and the Soldiers he led.
We cannot thank him enough for the success he has brought his platoon and this company.
Second Lieutenant Keogh has already demonstrated that he is a tough, capable leader
who will surely succeed in this environment. His platoon will continue to excel under his leadership.

We had a number of Soldiers get promoted in the month of October. These promotions are well deserved
and are truly a direct reflection of their outstanding performance in combat over the last four months
and their demonstrated potential for increased responsibility.
We in A Company certainly look forward to seeing these young Soldiers progress through the ranks of the Army.

Specialist Michael Pittenger to Sergeant
Specialist Brian Todd to Sergeant
Private First Class Dustin Armstrong to Specialist
Private First Class Norman Herman to Specialist
Private First Class Matthew Hood to Specialist
Private First Class Edgar Molina to Specialist
Private First Class Daniel Toves to Specialist

We also began the fiscal year moving in the right direction by reenlisting two Soldiers.
Staff Sergeant Curtis Keltner, our company supply sergeant, reenlisted for an assignment to Germany
upon redeployment while Specialist Joshua Reed from Second Platoon reenlisted to go to Fort Campbell.
I would like to thank these Soldiers for their continued service. This decision is certainly not an easy one
as the demands of the Army are much more now than in recent years. Not only this company,
but the Army as a whole will continue to benefit from their service.

Lastly, I regret to inform the Gator community of the loss of Sergeant Chase Haag on October 1^st, 2006.
Sergeant Haag was killed while conducting a combat patrol on the outskirts of Western Baghdad
when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Sergeant Haag was assigned to 1^st Platoon and was cross attached
to D Company at the time of the incident. He was a stand-out performer and his loss was one
that affected each and every Soldier assigned to this company. I ask that you keep his family in your prayers
during this tough time. Please be assured that this only strengthens our resolve to defeating the insurgency
in our respective area. I wish you all the best and we will be home soon.

Hello from South Baghdad. I trust this letter finds you well as we are now less than two months away
from our return home. The past month has, once again, been a busy one.
We transitioned from serving under 2^nd Battalion, 502^nd Infantry of the 101^st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
to 2^nd Battalion, 14^th Infantry of the 10^th Mountain Division. Then, only five days later,
we relocated to Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah and are currently serving with
4^th Battalion, 31^st Infantry – also of the 10^th Mountain Division.

For those of you unfamiliar with the characteristics of the different types of combat arms,
the mechanized and armor assets we bring provide the light infantry with greater thermal and night vision capabilities,
more powerful crew served weapon systems, and a powerful psychological effect.
Although the moving and working for units other than our own creates turbulence,
we understand that we greatly enhance the light infantry units’ ability to conduct operations effectively.
Within a few days of our arrival, we moved to forward battle positions and observation posts
with the purpose of securing key lines of communication in the Yusafiyah area.
We have accomplished this very effectively thus far, and I know our Soldiers will continue to do a superb job.

First Platoon has recently been detached from C Battery, 4^th Battalion, 27^th Field Artillery
and is now attached to C Company of the Regulars. They are operating in our former area of operations
in the vicinity of the Abu Ghraib Internment Facility.

We extend congratulations the following Staff Sergeants who earned promotions to Sergeant First Class –
Miguel Delossantos and Timothy Jones. The promotion board for the rank of Sergeant First Class
is a particularly significant achievement in that it is the first one in which a Soldier is selected amongst all his peers
across the Army. These two senior Non-commissioned Officers have accomplished a great deal
and we are very fortunate to have them.

I would like to also congratulate Sergeant Omar Rivera on his decision to continue his enlistment in the Army.
He is an outstanding Soldier and the Army is better because of his outstanding service.
I’d like to thank him and his loved ones for their continued commitment and sacrifice.

I ask that your thoughts and prayers continue to be with the fallen and wounded Soldiers in the battalion,
and their families. Thank you for your continued support, thoughts, and prayers for all of us throughout the deployment.
We look forward to our approaching return home, but remain focused on the task at hand.

Copperhead Company continues to impress me each day I am in command.
As we left Abu Ghraib security and picked up our new area of operations we had no idea what to really expect.
We quickly had some great success, detaining an Al Qaeda operative and finding some Improvised Explosive Devices
before they detonated. Recently we were tasked with securing the Baghdad West Substation
and the Soldiers continued to execute the change of mission in a most professional manner.
They just completed handing over the security of the power station to the capable hands of the Iraqi Army –
a task we were all familiar with from the transfer of security of Abu Ghraib Internment Facility in September.
With the transition complete, we have moved back out into the area and are getting back to cleaning up the insurgency.

The Baghdad West Substation security mission was immediately following the Suicide Vehicle Born IED
that detonated and resulted in the Task Force losing three fine Soldiers.
No Copperhead Soldier was physically wounded by the explosion; however,
we all felt some of the pain for our brothers and sisters in the battalion. Through this catastrophic event,
we saw some truly extraordinary performances from Soldiers like Specialist David Ramirez –
one of our company medics – that treated numerous casualties that day and would not rest
until the last Soldier was medically evacuated. Although you never want to see performances like that,
it was encouraging to know that we patrol with medics that are so well trained.
Additionally, the members of Second Platoon under Second Lieutenant Chris Loudon
and Sergeant First Class Robert Warman quickly moved to the power station and were the first to arrive
to assist with casualty evacuation and security immediately following the attack.

Just recently, the Mortar Platoon and B Company’s First Platoon did an outstanding job
quickly reacting along with the Company Headquarters to execute a short notice operation
to detain three insurgents that operated as part of an IED cell in our area.

We also lost the outstanding Stryker unit that was attached to us under the leadership of Captain John Lovin
and Sergeant First Class Eric Beck. Their parent battalion – 1^st Battalion, 23^rd Infantry –
needed them back for operations they are conducting. We have grown to understand why they wanted them back so much
as they provided a lot of combat power, outstanding capabilities, and were great to work with.
They will be missed from the Copperhead family as they continue to take the fight to the enemy
in another area of operation. At the same time that we lost them, we also gained First Platoon from B Company.
That platoon, led by Second Lieutenant Chris Tsao and recently promoted Sergeant First Class Timothy Jones,
is now attached to the Copperhead Family and is fitting in well. They are already having a positive impact
on our mission and I know will continue to have great success over the remainder of the deployment.

Although currently detached – but not forgotten – our own First Platoon is still working hard for B Company;
however, they have picked up from Camp Striker and moved out. They are currently executing combat patrols
in Mahmudiyah, still rolling out the gate in their tanks and doing a fantastic job.
The company looks forward to getting them back with us soon,
but until then we know that B Company is enjoying their support tremendously.

We recently made more changes to the leadership of the company as the senior Platoon Leader,
First Lieutenant Ryan Thompson, was selected to go with Staff Sergeant Dario Noguera
to conduct one of the most important missions of the Army in Iraq – the Military Transition Team (MiTT)
for the Iraqi Army. Although it was tough to part with their contributions to the company,
this mission is critical to ensure we don’t have to keep coming back, so it demanded that we sent from our best.
They have only been with MiTT a short while at this point, but they have both expressed encouraging sentiment
as the Iraqi Army Soldiers appear to be quick learners and are taking their training very serious.
When we pulled First Lieutenant Thompson from his platoon, it created an opening
for Second Lieutenant Brian Piacentini to move in as Platoon Leader and the new Blue 1.
Although both First Lieutenant Thompson and Staff Sergeant Noguera will be missed,
I know they will excel in their new positions and I have complete confidence that with their replacements
we will not miss a beat. The professional Soldiers of Third Platoon have quickly demonstrated
that they will not let the new Platoon Leader down as they continue to work hard
to figure out what is going on in the insurgent cells that operate in our area.

This month we had the privilege and honor to promote Sergeant First Class Timothy Jones
of B Company’s First Platoon and Specialist Timothy Moore from the Fire Support Team.
I know Sergeant First Class Jones’ wife Erin, kids Logan and Tristin, as well as Specialist Moore’s wife Rena,
son Jordan and the rest of their families are proud of their accomplishments. I look forward to their continued success
in the Army as they are challenged with the next level of responsibility. Sergeant First Class Jones
has already been operating as a platoon sergeant so it is nice that the Army has given him the rank he deserves
and is now paying him for that position. Additionally, it is encouraging that we promote a fine Soldier
like Specialist Moore who has always impressed me with his flexibility to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission,
even routinely volunteering to operate outside of his MOS to help out the company.

This month the company also had the opportunity to visit one of Saddam’s palaces
for the reenlistment of Specialist Robert Patitucci and Specialist Ron Robinson – both from Headquarters Platoon.
Both of these Soldiers have been doing a fine job keeping the company running from turning in the daily reports,
personnel paperwork, supply and logistics and filling in the gap whenever needed to execute patrols
to defeat the insurgency. I commend these two Soldiers and their families for signing up for continued service in our Army.

In closing I want to thank everyone for your support as I took command of this outstanding company –
it was already running on all cylinders when I got here. The company has been doing great things over here
and the Family Readiness Group back there has truly amazed me with all that you’ve accomplished and continue to do.
I look forward to meeting you all and continuing to work with you as we redeploy.